Enjoy Homer's variety

If you're bored in Homer, it's your own fault. There's a lot happening here that has nothing to do with fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.

From homegrown to international talent, musicians can be enjoyed almost every weekend and some weeknights at area coffeehouses and bars. Musical performances also are made possible by the Homer Council on the Arts and the Bunnell Street Arts Center. Musicians of all varieties play at the Farmers' Market on Saturdays.

Special summer music events include the Seldovia Solstice Music Festival in June, public radio station KBBI's Concert on the Lawn in July and the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra's Summer Music Festival in August.

Live theater happens throughout the summer at Pier One Theatre, in the red metal barn on the Homer Spit next to the fishing hole. It presents everything from Shakespeare to the latest off-Broadway productions, and sometimes includes only-in-Homer plays by local playwrights.

Films and the art of filmmaking are of growing interest on the southern Kenai Peninsula. The first documentary film festival was organized by the Homer Theatre in 2004 and has been gaining in popularity ever since. The film festival happens in the fall. The Homer Theatre brings an eclectic mix of action-adventure Hollywood movies and independent films.

The annual Kachemak Bay Writers Conference, which happens in June, brings award-winning authors and hundreds of participants from across the United States. The conference is organized by the Kachemak Bay Campus, Kenai Peninsula College-University of Alaska Anchorage.

The best place to find out what's happening in town for any given week is to go to the HOMER NEWS CALENDAR.